Re-Reading Clarissa and Clarissa: Interpretations of ＂Virtue＂ at War
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The critical discourse surrounding Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa, or the History of a Young Lady has pursued questions that examine what “virtue” means and, further, who defines virtue, how, and why. This paper questions whether the novel, Clarissa, can support a model of virtue for both the novel and its heroine. If the novel does not allow for multiple interpretations of virtue, then, whose interpretation reigns to the end? In an attempt to answer such complex questions, this study looks at the critical exchange of readings of Clarissa between William Beatty Warner, Terry Castle, and Terry Eagleton. Rather than build upon the current account of binary struggles or oppositions which set up the primary conflict as that of Clarissa versus Lovelace, this study will focus on the “inside” and “outside” power structure(s) surrounding the novel and its interpretation of virtue. This paper argues that Clarissa, the novel, espouses one model of virtue for itself and another model for its heroine. Although Richardson’s Clarissa continues to live forever as a literary masterpiece defining public virtue, Clarissa, the heroine, struggles to verify the truth of her virtue through her will which is mediated by editors, Belford and Richardson. In conclusion, this paper questions whether Richardson and Belford, as “direct” and “indirect” mediators, force Clarissa to die in order to preserve “his” and/or “their” definition of virtue in the novel, Clarissa.
Abstract
The critical discourse surrounding Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa, or the History of a Young Lady has pursued questions that examine what “virtue” means and, further, who defines virtue, how, and why. This paper questions whether the novel, Clarissa, can support a model of virtue for both the novel and its heroine. If the novel does not allow for multiple interpretations of virtue, then, whose interpretation reigns to the end? In an attempt to answer such complex questions, this study looks at the critical exchange of readings of Clarissa between William Beatty Warner, Terry Castle, and Terry Eagleton. Rather than build upon the current account of binary struggles or oppositions which set up the primary conflict as that of Clarissa versus Lovelace, this study will focus on the “inside” and “outside” power structure(s) surrounding the novel and its interpretation of virtue. This paper argues that Clarissa, the novel, espouses one model of virtue for itself and another model for its heroine. Although Richardson’s Clarissa continues to live forever as a literary masterpiece defining public virtue, Clarissa, the heroine, struggles to verify the truth of her virtue through her will which is mediated by editors, Belford and Richardson. In conclusion, this paper questions whether Richardson and Belford, as “direct” and “indirect” mediators, force Clarissa to die in order to preserve “his” and/or “their” definition of virtue in the novel, Clarissa.
참고문헌 (15)
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